When and how to vacuum?

[Tinto]

Hello everyone. I have been wondering how do you guys solve the problem with vacuum cleaning. I looked for it here, but most posts deal with vacuum cleaning the fur of the rabbit because of mites or whatever.

I have an issue with vacuum cleaning my room, that is also where the bunny stays. Needless to say, he doesn't really like the sound of the vacuum cleaner. I tried also a handy one (a car cleaner) but that softer sound wasn't pleasant to my bun either.

When is the best timing? When he is already upset or excited, I don't want to irritate him more. And when he is pretty calm after eating in the morning, I don't want to disturb him. In the evening, he's usually quite sleepy when I come home and later I cannot vacuum clean, otherwise I would make too much noise and disturb the neighbors.

It's complicated, isn't it? But it's my room too and I should clean it once in a while... ))

 

[Mz_Mala]

Poor bun. Does he get upset/excited only when you vacuum in your room or does it happen at any time he hears the vacuum (when you vacuum the hall near the bedroom doorway, etc.)? Maybe you can run it more often in the other rooms so he can hear it more distantly and then gradually do it more often closer and closer to him so that he'll get used to it slowly. I guess my rabbits are crazy because they have no fear of anything and try to go smell the vacuum hose when I use it around their cages.

 

[Blue eyes]

Rabbits can get accustomed to noises like vacuums especially if it is a regular occurrence. One thing that I would suggest, though, is to start the vacuum outside of your room and work your way in from there. That prevents the vacuum noise from being full volume all of a sudden. He'll hear it coming from afar and not be so startled.

Also, move the vacuum a bit more slowly when in front of the bunny's cage -- making it less scary then something loud zipping back and forth.

Of my most recent pair of rabbits, one would always retreat back to his cage and huddle in a corner when he heard the vacuum. The other would come out to attack the vacuum!